The Button
by Sentinel Prime
Summary: A little oneshot I did for creative writing class. Based on the short story "Button, Button" by I-don't-know-or-care-who.


**This is just a little thing I did for creative writing class. It's based off a short story called "Button, Button" and it's meant to reflect what I would do in the scenario from the story (or another scenario where you push the button and someone dies)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.**

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Sauron groaned when he saw the crate sitting in front of his door. Yet another thing he'd never sent for. His guard turned to face his lord.

"Shall I dispose of it, my lord?" the guard asked. Sauron shook his head.

"No, that's all right. I'll do it myself." He picked the crate up in one arm and carried it inside. He took the crate up to his chambers at the very top of Barad-dûr. He shut and locked his door behind him. Sauron put the the crate on the table and just stared at it for a moment before he used the handle of his mace to pry it open. Inside was a metal button, much like some he'd seen on Saruman the White's inventions. He cautiously turned the button over. Stuck to the bottom with wax was a simple four word note.

_Look out your window._

Sauron turned to the window that faced Mount Doom. A large gargoyle fluttered down onto the balcony.

"Good day, Dark Lord." it said, emphasizing his title as he said it, "I see you received your delivery."

"That I never sent for." Sauron added.

"No, no, of course you didn't. But you have it now, so I will make you an offer. If you press this button, someone in Arda that you don't know will die. In exchange, you will be given the secret to destroying Morgoth and freeing yourself. You have three days before I return and take the button away for good." And with that, it jumped over the railing and disappeared.

"Well, that was odd." he said. He put the button in his old wardrobe, which hadn't been used for thousands of years.

"I'll just not press it." he told himself. But he couldn't help thinking about the gargoyle's offer. The secret to destroying Morgoth. He'd been told it was impossible, not even the Valar were able to destroy him. Did that mean the gargoyle knew something the Valar didn't? Sauron let out a deep sigh. All this worrying was giving him a headache.

"I'll think about it in the morning." he decided as he crawled into bed that night.

* * *

The first and second day were filled with nothing but stress and worrying. He'd just learned that Morgoth was coming, which meant everything had to be readied for his arrival. With all this happening, Sauron didn't have time to even think about the button. When Morgoth arrived at the end of the second day, he greeted Sauron with a good lashing. Sauron was glad his chambers were protected by special magic that kept Morgoth out while he nursed his wounds from Morgoth's lash. He could already tell that getting up the next day would be near impossible.

* * *

Morning came, too soon for Sauron's liking. He wished Morgoth would just disappear. As he listened to Morgoth yelling for him, he thought about the button sitting in his wardrobe. For a moment, Sauron thought of taking it out and pressing it, but he held back.

_Today's the third day,_ he thought, _If I can just wait until tonight, I won't have to worry about it anymore._ But then he remembered that Morgoth would still be around. And he would've given up the only chance at being free of him.

_But if I press it and kill someone, then I'm no better than Morgoth!_ his thoughts screamed. That did it. There was no way he'd do something that would sink him to Morgoth's level. He shut his wardrobe, he hadn't even realized he'd opened it, picked up his mace and headed to the door.

"SAURON!" Morgoth screeched. Sauron sighed and opened the door.

"Coming!" he called. He took one last look at the wardrobe and shut the door before he changed his mind.

Sauron could barely move as he dragged himself up the stairs to his chambers. Morgoth had given him extra lashings for being late that morning, and more abuse throughout the day. Sauron groaned as his legs tried yet again to buckle under him. His entire body was sore and aching. After what felt like eons, he reached his bed and fell onto it. He didn't even feel like nursing his wounds, instead calling an orc to do it. She gasped when she saw the state he was in, but decided now was not the best time to ask. When she finished, she helped him get under the blankets before she pulled the covers up to his chin.

"Thank you, Peyrál." he said groggily. She nodded, having been born a mute and therefore unable to speak. After she left, Sauron lay there, letting his body relax at last. But just as his eyelids were drooping, he heard a familiar soft fluttering. The gargoyle was standing on the balcony looking around as though it were lost.

"I'm over here, and I-ah-really don't feel like trying to get up." Sauron moaned.

"That's quite all right, I'll just come over there then." It padded across the room and stood by his bedside. "So," it said, "I see you've rejected my offer. Might I ask why?" Sauron nodded, he was rather proud of his answer.

"I must admit, there were times I came very close to pressing it," he confessed,

"But what held me back was the idea that Morgoth would press it multiple times, just to kill innocent people. If I pressed it, then I'd be no better than Morgoth, and I know I'm not like him. As much as I hate Morgoth and would love to be rid of him, it isn't worth killing innocent people over."

"Very good, very good." the gargoyle commented, "You don't mind if I press it then, do you?" the creature asked.

"I'm too sore and tired to care." Sauron replied, "It's yours. Do what you want with it."

"Very well, then." The gargoyle seemed almost relieved to press the button. Sauron moaned as his eyelids drooped again, but he bolted back up to his feet when he heard a shrieking from down the hall.

"It's coming from Morgoth's room!" Sauron exclaimed. He opened the door and barged in just in time to see Morgoth dissolve into a cloud of black smoke and a pile of black ashes on the floor. Sauron could only stare in disbelief as the gargoyle came up behind him carrying the button.

"You passed the test." it said, "The secret to destroying Morgoth is this: When presented with two options, no matter how appealing the other may be, you must choose the one that he would not. Which is what you have done!"

"So...so you mean I'm free?" The gargoyle nodded.

"You earned it." it said. "Well, I must be off. There are other, less compassionate people to whom I must deliver this. Good-bye now." And it jumped from the railing and disappeared. But Sauron didn't even notice. He was already back in his room, under his covers, fast asleep and lost in button-free dreams.

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**Read and Review, please! Thanks! :)**


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